2018 Mazda CX-3: First impression

The latest facelift of the Mazda CX-3 looks promising, even though many would consider it to just be the same as the previous model. However, if you look closely, you will find that a lot has changed both inside and out, barring the engine (on paper).

However, there is that one thing you can never take away from the Mazda CX-3, which is the sheer attractive design offered. And guess what, even if the likes of the Honda HR-V have dominated the Malaysian market for long, the Mazda has no problems in having its share.

Speaking of the designing changes, there are quite a few subtle additions and differences over the pre-facelift model. Some of them may turn out to be the highlighting difference for you. Wondering how well the 2018 Mazda CX-3 would manage to impress the crowd? Read along.

The changes on the exterior

If you look at it for a short little glance, you won’t be able to tell what changes the 2018 Mazda CX-3 has undergone. But if you notice carefully, you will see that the grille is something new and has a double chrome design that looks less congested or stacked.

Moreover, even if we find the same LED headlamps and fog lamps cluster, the housing of the latter is finished in glossy black. The lower lip spoiler has a chrome strip passing along the width of the car, something that wasn’t seen in the pre-facelift model.

Mazda continues to offer the 18-inch wheels albeit with a different alloy design, which looks better than the earlier one. However, the biggest change comes on the rear profile where you can spot a new tail light section, the ones inspired by the Mazda CX-5.

The cabin bits

If you haven’t had a very long cabin-time on the old Mazda CX-3, you might not be able to tell the differences, though there are many changes made. Get to the driver’s seat, and you will find everything right in front of you to be the same, including the centre console, the head-up display and the touchscreen panel.

But the difference is seen beneath the display in the form of a new material coating that is a lot better to touch. The same material is used in the inside door panel. The air vent in the centre no longer extend up to the left side but is more like conventional and short.

Moving forward, the manual hand lever for the brake is no longer present. Instead of that, there is an electronic knob which has the auto-hold function as well. There is a centre armrest for the driver now.

The front seats are a little wider and more supportive over the previous model, though there isn’t a very big change in the ergonomics. However, there is one thing that you would not like at all. Mazda removed the sunroof, which makes for a very un-welcomed change and most of the buyers would look hope it was offered.

Mechanism

Under the hood, the 2018 Mazda CX-3 specifications continue to feature the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder SKYACTIV-G petrol engine which can thump out 154 PS of power at 6,000 RPM and a maximum torque of 204 Nm coming at just 2,800 RPM. The power is sent down to the wheels via a 6-speed automatic gearbox which is refined and does not feel laggy on the shifts.

Again, Mazda managed to surprise its prospect customers by adding the G-Vectoring on the mechanism, which can take care of the steering response further by optimising the torque on all the wheels to be in line with the vertical hold on each of them.

Safety

Speaking about the safety concerns, the company has done pretty well to take care of demands. It has blind-spot monitoring and the rear-cross traffic alerts. Other standard equipment in the safety department have been taken care of, and you get ABS and EBD as standard.

What do we think about it?

2018 Mazda CX-3 price of RM121,000, makes for a fair deal to be a facelift model. The addition of G-Vectoring and some physical tweaks make it great for the price charged. However, the absence of a sunroof may be a painful loss in the new edition and would be missed by many.